Drive faster pay less attention worked out better rather than gripping the steering wheel until it bends and slowing down constently
Winter Driving
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by TigerBait, Oct 12, 2014.
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Shut up and listen. You'll find out soon enough. Not to mention hear the "Hey!? What's the hold up????" about fifty times before getting through the trouble zone.
Consider using mittens instead of gloves when it gets that cold. Mittens are warmer because they allow complete circulation in your fingers and allow heat to transfer from finger to finger.
Steel toed boots are a bad idea in bitter cold. The steel will wick away heat from your toes in a hurry. If you need toe protection in really cold weather consider composite protection. -
I've heard it is dangerous to downshift on downside of mountains. I guess when I did it, I was lucky... I'm fairly new also.
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That's the mantra and IMHO it is dead flat wrong. Everyone should know how to upshift and downshift going uphill or downhill. If you get "stuck" in a gear too high for the grade or if you get pinned behind a slower moving truck then what are you going to do, ride the brakes and burn them out on the way down?
Learn how to downshift on a downgrade. Practice it until it is second nature. As soon as you know you need to downshift then SMOOTHLY brake until the rpm's are below 1000 and make the shift. If the downgrade is really steep then bring the rpm's down to 800 or so and shift because it will start speeding up as you make the shift. Note the speed where you start the shift and if you don't get into gear and it starts picking up speed simply brake again to that speed and try again. It's really not that hard. -
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I ran over the Rockies on I-70 a couple dozen times last year and HAD to be able to up and downshift on the downgrades. At times I wished they had the chain law in effect, it was bare and dry but then getting toward the top it would be snowing hard. Then it was a delicate balance trying to control speed downhill without chains and without breaking some semblance of traction and without having your trailer get to the bottom before you do.
"They" also say to never use jakes on snow and ice. Coming down Vail or Eisenhower pass in slick conditions I used them, but you have to be smart about it. Don't just jam it on high setting at high rpm's and expect to be okay, that's a recipe for getting into a jackknife. Learn to EASE into it at low rpm's on low setting with EASY and SMOOTH brake application and the INSTANT you feel it getting greasy you have to cancel the jake and let it coast a bit (picking up a bit of speed) to straighten out and start easy braking down to low rpm's and start over.
I think the mantra's that you never shift on a downhill or never use the jakes on snow or ice are ideas that the good idea fairy came up with to prevent new drivers from getting into trouble. Instead of actually teaching proper technique in these situations they simply avoid the topic altogether and end up getting new drivers in trouble the moment they are faced with a situation they don't know how to control.
Seeing that CR England trailer burned to the ground at the bottom of Vail Pass from a fire that started from overheated brakes is an example of what can go horribly wrong with not teaching how to downshift on a downgrade.X-Country and nofreetime Thank this. -
I'm driving a automatic now. going to have to learn a new approach to downhill snow and ice. I could stand a few pointers on that myself.
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Downhill speed control is a topic that either gets over looked or is taught in totally unrealistic pie in sky kinda way in any winter driving education material that ive seen. Which is really pretty muffed up since its probably one off the most difficult aspects of winter driving.
Lepton1 Thanks this. -
I think it's pretty smart to tell trainees not to shift on downgrades. Once you're completely comfortable shifting, go for it, but I'd say it's better to take it extra slow than to wind up in neutral halfway down cabbage at max weight. I'm still not perfect at shifting on downgrades, but for the most of it I can get it done.
When using the jake is not a (safe) option, do you just go down another gear or two? -
I80 or Wyoming in all doesn't use Salt only sand. So the roads stay Icy unlike places that use mag or salt. If it looks wet it's likely ice not wet. I think it's dumb they don't put salt or mag down. Would make a big difference out there. Just a warning if you drive across there.
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